The string instruments, were called fidulae, and later viellae. They were of different dimensions and shapes and they had from three to five strings. Since 1400 these instruments took the name of viole.

The viola could be of three types: bass viol, from which the cello and the double bass derived; the "viola da braccio" from which the viola and the violin derived. These instruments had strings made of young animal guts wound around the neck.